Hi everyone! I am sorry for the unnecessarily long delay. To be fully transparent, I have finished some books. I simply didn’t have time to review them. There were things I wanted to say, but they slipped my mind once life’s responsibilities got in the way. It pains me to be away from this blog for too long. I like rambling about whatever I have read recently. With October just around the corner, I fully intend to deliver you all some spooky book reviews. I figured that this book would be a good one to warm up my reviewing skills once again. This is now my second time reading a novel by Sayaka Murata. If you feel so inclined, please check out my review of Earthlings. Now, let’s talk about Convenience Store Woman.

Content Warning: Explicit Langauge, References to Sexual Assault

Keiko Furukura has always known she doesn’t fit in. She has no desire to marry or have children. She has no friends, nor does she want any. At eighteen, she found her true purpose at Smile Mart. Keiko loves her job as a convenience store worker and has no desire to be anything else. At thirty-six, she is comfortable with her monotonous life. Her family and co-workers, though, think something is wrong with her. Keiko begins to feel societal pressure to marry and reproduce. All she wants is for everyone to leave her alone. When she encounters a strange man who also rails against societal norms, she thinks that she may have found her answer. Is it the only answer?

Convenience Store Woman is a punchy little novel that interrogates what it really means to not fit in. Murata’s novel celebrates those who merely want live by their own terms. As a main character, Keiko has plenty of unique quirks that reflect in her inner monologue. I would even argue that she is neurodivergent. To me, Keiko is representative of a specific portion of people who enjoy their repetative jobs. Murata’s prose is concise in its philosophy. Some people try so hard to be different that they circle back around to being like everyone else. Certain responsibilities are simply unavoidable in life. There are many different paths for a person to take, and that path might lead to a job in a small convenience store. I am continually impressed with how Murata writes unassuming women who hold multitudes of such interesting thoughts. I really adored this novel and its messaging. This is a novel for the unconventional rebels. I highly recommend Convenience Store Woman for anyone who needs a good “weird girl” book.